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Vince Ellis: Pistons' SVG seeking versatile players, and Stanley Johnson could be it

No offense to the guys who bring only three-point shooting and tough defense to the table, but Stanley Johnson told reporters recently he is more than a "3-and-D" guy.

With 3-and-D swingmen being the latest rage in the NBA because shooting is at a premium, the former Arizona star scoffed at anyone applying the limiting label.

I'm "a lot more than 3 and D," the former high school point guard told reporters recently at the Detroit Pistons' practice facility. "3-and-D guys tend to be stiff. They just shoot threes, play defense and rebound. I'm a guy you can put anywhere on the floor.

"My best asset is getting to midrange and pulling up, getting to the rim off the bounce and stuff like that. I also rebound and defend at a high level. 3-and-D guy would be an understatement for myself."

The moment Stan Van Gundy was given the keys to the Pistons' franchise, fans and pundits have paid a large amount of focus on shooting.

Van Gundy, who will make the initial first-round pick of his Pistons' tenure during the NBA draft tonight, says shooting is at a premium.

But with top-10 talent, he is seeking multitalented guys capable of doing more than just provide floor spacing.

He wants a guy that can create offense. He wants a guy capable of defending multiple positions — kind of like Golden State's Draymond Green (Michigan State), who can guard all five positions.

"You've got to be able to respond to the way people play," Van Gundy said this week. "I think as the game has spread out more, people talk about the offensive part of it, but there's also a defensive part.

"As the game spreads out, you need people who can defend in those kind of situations, too."

Wingin' it

So what position will the Pistons target?

The only small forward on the roster is seldom-used Cartier Martin, who recently informed the team that he will pick up the $1.2-million option for next season.

That means the next Piston probably will come from a group including Croatian Mario Hezonja, Duke's Justise Winslow, Johnson, Kansas' Kelly Oubre and Wisconsin's Sam Dekker.

The first four project to being possible starting small forwards who offer a variety of abilities.

Dekker looks like a 3-and-D guy and doesn't project to go to the Pistons at No. 8.

But if the Pistons trade down, Dekker (and probably Oubre) would be the target. The Celtics, with the 16th and 28th picks of the first round, could be trade partners.

Hezonja would provide shooting and athleticism, with ESPN draft analyst Fran Fraschilla saying the 6-foot-8, 200-pound prospect is capable of winning the slam-dunk title and three-point shoot-out during the annual All-Star weekend.

Winslow could be the best two-way prospect in draft, capable of being an offensive threat and providing tough defense.

Winslow said he had to become an all-around player as a prep standout at a small school in Texas. And it had to continue at Duke when he joined a talented lineup that included Tyus Jones, Jahlil Okafor and Quinn Cook.

"Ever since high school, not going to a big powerhouse high school, so I had to learn to do a lot — post up, bring the ball up, shoot off the dribble, spot up," Winslow said after a workout. "That's something that carried over to Duke, just being versatile, being able to play with different guys like with Tyus, Jahlil, Quinn, all those guys and being able to make it work."

The Pistons' top eight

Van Gundy has pledged to take the best player available at No. 8 no matter the fit — which creates the potential for a draft night surprise.

What happens if things go off script?

The most intriguing possibility is point guard Emmanuel Mudiay.

Once considered a sure-fire top-four prospect, the emergence of Hezonja and fellow European big man Kristaps Porzingis has pushed Mudiay down mock drafts.

It's hard to see him lasting until the Pistons pick, but suddenly that has emerged as a slim possibility.

Mudiay appears to be among the Pistons' top-eight players in the draft, and the organization will follow its draft board — even with the presence of Reggie Jackson, Brandon Jennings and Spencer Dinwiddie.

The Pistons potentially would be sitting on a top-five talent and would have a potential asset they could flip for more talent a few years down the road — like the Thunder did with Jackson.

The salary slot for the eighth pick — $2.1 million — is relatively inexpensive, and the team probably wouldn't worry about bringing in a veteran-minimum salary point guard.

And by letting it be known that they are open to taking Mudiay, the Pistons could be creating a market for the eighth pick and the opportunity to trade back in the draft where Oubre or Dekker could be waiting.

Two others the Pistons might have in their top eight are shooting guard Devin Booker and center Willie Cauley-Stein, both from Kentucky.

Booker, a Grand Rapids native, is considered the best shooter in the draft. With Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Jodie Meeks, there wouldn't be immediate pressure to play the youngest player in the draft.

Cauley-Stein arguably is the best defender in the draft, capable of guarding all five spots. The Pistons have a spot for backup center so he would slide right into the playing rotation.

More than likely, he would forever be blocked by Andre Drummond from the starting lineup. Would they use a top-10 pick on a guy who likely would never be in the starting lineup?

So what if he's there at No. 8?

"We have our top eight, and we'd be happy with any of those eight," Van Gundy said. "You gotta get one of those, so I think we'd be happy. Who you're trying to project is the best guy three years down the road. We know that there are guys that maybe better next year than the guy we end up picking. You're projecting what you see three years down the road. That's been our real focus, and that's at any position."